Mari'S Eclectic Senior Session

Let's go back in time my friends with a throw back to Mari's senior session in May of 2021. Mari's senior experience is really special to me. This session was the one that really spiraled the senior experience into what it is today and continues to me. Mari's session was one of the first semi regular feeling sessions as the world returned to a mostly normal place. This series is one of MY MOST referred to sessions to date. In addition to the location details I will drop a little gear knowledge as well incase you find yourself shooting in a similar environment. If you don't geek out on gear and just like pretty picture you can skip the last few sentences of each section ;)


When Mari booked with me we started with a questionnaire and a short in person meeting to learn more about her hopes and dreams for her session. I learned that Mari is a vintage record loving, coffee fanatic. After high school she will be going to college out of state studying tech theater (lighting). In her questionnaire she said "I always thought it would be fun to take photos in an art museum." She wanted her photos to be fun and show confidence. So where did we go and what did we do?


Location 1: Wonder Wonder in Boulder, Colorado

When I heard vintage, museum, lights I knew WonderWonder in Boulder, Colorado was going to be on our list! Unfortunately, WonderWonder has since shut their doors we have many other selfie museums that allow photographers (some require permits) to talk photos. Working with WonderWonder was amazing. They provided us photo setup of all the rooms ahead of time so we could prep and plan the different rooms. We coordinated outfits and props ahead of time. Mari chose outfits that were more neutral on colors that way she could mix and match outfits in different rooms. The rooms at the selfie museum are pretty tight. So I shot with my Sigma Art 35 1.4 lens and used my AD200 with a MagMod Bounce add in some light. Keep in mind that most cell phone cameras are around 25-30mm in focal length, thus the rooms are set up for a wider lens. At the time of this session the 35 was the widest lens in my arsenal of lenses.

Location 2: Downtown Denver

Next we headed back to Denver for some amazing boss babe photos by the Buell Theater. Please note you must have permission to shoot on the sidewalks, stairs, parking lot or any areas near the Colorado Center for Performing Arts. Mari's suit really changed the look and the vibe of this part of her session. And did you notice the change of lip color?! The contrast of the bight red lip paired with the sophisticated suite outfit was such a #chefskiss. This was the perfect location to snap a few headshots for college applications. My favorite thing about shooting downtown is all the different looks you can create in a single block radius! Downtown my lens of choice was the RF 70-200. Since we were getting headshots a longer focal length allows for the body and face to be more true to life proportions. A second thing I love about that lens is the way it can blur out the back ground like we did for the little Beatles strut across the street.


Location 3: fika Coffee house in Parker, Colorado

Finally we headed home to Parker, Colorado. Our last stop of the night was Fika Coffee in the heart of Parker, Colorado. Mari brought her favorite coffee mug to make this location even more special. We found the perfect chair right next to the front door that gave us just the right amount of light to play with. My Sigma Art 35mm lens on my Canon EOS R were the perfect combo. The low aperture allowed us to open up wide to allow in as much light as we could for a darkly lit room. I did have to get a little creative in my camera positioning due to the tight space and to keep other guest out of the frame. I love how these turned out and how all the colors work together. I can just see Mari sketching out lighting designs for a future lighting set in this look!